The invention is in the field of surface cleaning devices that dispense cleaning liquids on the surface and extracts with vacuum the cleaning liquids, dirt, dust, and particulates from the surface.
Conventional fluid pressure cleaning equipment utilize manually operated cleaners that dispense liquids, including water, onto the surface of floors and walls and mechanically scrub the surfaces. These cleaners have housings connected to elongated handles used by work persons to move the housing relative to the surface to be cleaned. Spinners having nozzles rotatably mounted on the housing discharge cleaning liquid onto the surface. Brushes attached to the housing are used to mechanically scrub the surfaces. The cleaning liquid is spread over the surface and in time evaporates. An example of this type of cleaning equipment is disclosed by H. A. Petsch in U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,019.
Cleaning devices having vacuum cleaner heads including nozzles to discharge water onto the surface to be cleaned are disclosed by H. W. Schneider in U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,626. Brushes are used on the cleaner heads to mechanically scrub the surface.
C. F. Scheffer in U.S. Pat. No. 1,601,774 discloses a vacuum tool for cleaning carpets and rugs. The tool has a tubular handle secured at its lower end to a yoke. A tubular cylinder having suction apertures is rotatably mounted on the yoke. Air drawn through the apertures picks up dirt-and dust as the cylinder rolls over the carpet and rug. The tool does not dispense a liquid or cleaning material on the carpet or rug.
J. W. Noble in U.S. Pat. No. 2,949,620 discloses a floor mopping machine having a tubular handle connected with a hose to a vacuum device. The lower end of the handle is connected to a pair of U-shaped tubes which rotatably support a roller. The tubes have holes that discharge liquid into the roller and porous sleeve on the roller. The liquid and dirt in the sleeve is drawn with a vacuum out of the sleeve into the handle with a shoe that is moved into engagement with the sleeve. A vacuum is not used inside the roller to pick up liquid and dirt from the surface and transfer the liquid and dirt into the roller. A ratchet on a tube and roller limits rotation of the roller in one direction relative to the surface to be cleaned to wipe the surface and soak liquid into the porous sleeve.
The surface cleaner of the invention has a cleaning head that dispenses a cleaning liquid onto a surface to be cleaned to wet and dissolve foreign materials, such as dirt, dust, film, molds, oils, grease, bacteria, fungi, pollen, and particulates on the surface, mechanically horizontally and laterally scrub the surface, and remove with vacuum liquid and foreign materials from the surface. The surfaces include building walls, windows, floors, vehicles, and objects having surfaces that are cleaned. Heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment can be cleaned to remove dust, dirt, bacterial, and fungal growth with the cleaner of the invention. The cleaner has a cleaning head that includes a cylindrical member accommodating a rotatable core supporting a porous sleeve that rotates as it is moved relative to a surface to be cleaned. An elongated tubular handle connected to the cleaning head is used by the work person to move the cleaning head. The handle is connected to a vacuum unit with a hose that transports air, liquid and foreign materials from the cleaning head to the vacuum unit. A pump operates to deliver cleaning liquid, such as water, to a flexible tube located in the handle and connected to a tube within the cleaning head. Nozzles dispense cleaning liquid into the sleeve which spreads the liquid on to the surface to be dispensed on the surface to be cleaned and permit the vacuum to pick up liquid, film and dirt from the surface leaving the surface dry and clean. The sleeve has a porous rigid cylinder attached to fabric, plastic fibers, felt, abrasives, chamois, and rubber like materials. The sleeve has an external helical ribbon of abrasive or scrubbing material, such as a rigid plastic fibers, located about porous material that picks up dirt and liquid from a surface. The ribbon of abrasive material spreads the liquid on the surface and horizontally and laterally scrubs the surface during rotation of the sleeve to loosen dirt and particulates therefrom. The cleaning head effectively cleans the surface without injecting liquid sprays into the atmosphere. Environmental contamination of the atmosphere is substantially reduced.
A modification of the cleaning head has a rotatable porous sleeve mounted on a core rotatably supported on a cylindrical member. The sleeve has an external helical ribbon of abrasive material and porous material adjacent the ribbon. When the sleeve is rotated the ribbon of abrasive material horizontally and laterally scrubs the surface and distributes the cleaning liquid on the surface. The inside of the core and sleeve are subjected to vacuum which draws liquid and dirt through the sleeve into the cylindrical member. A hose connected to the cleaning head transports the liquid, air, and dirt to a vacuum pump and collection sump. A liquid dispenser located adjacent the sleeve directs a cleaning liquid onto the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning liquid dislodges and incorporates foreign material, such as dust, dirt, oils, grease, and particulates on the surface. The porous sleeve when rotated scrubs the surface and when subjected to vacuum picks up the foreign materials from the surface.